illustration

Pumpkinspice is Back Again!

pumpkin-headed demon sprinkling spice on a moonlit night
| Mister Kessell

It’s late August and there’s a slight chill to the air, one of a few signs that my favorite season is near.

Merle the squirrel sniffs the air in autumn as leaves fall

I’m speaking about Fall of course, it’s the best, most spooky season and a time when I really come alive.

comic drawing of a bat boy lying in a pile of orange and red leaves in the woods
This is how I roll

One of the other indications of Autumn’s approach is the return of Pumpkinspice Everything!

a pumpkin headed demon returns to sprinkle pumpkinspice on food products in late august
Pumpkinspice is back! Again. And again and again.

I made this funny illustration five years ago poking fun at this phenomenon. I call it “The Return of Pumpkinspice.” I posted about it here on my blog.

It was both a critique of our consumer culture and an homage to Pumpkinhead, one of my favorite horror films of the 1980s. My illustration had a brief, nearly viral couple of weeks, which was exciting. Seeing something that I thought was funny also being liked and shared by hundreds of other strangers on the internet! Wowzers.

So why am I going on again about this Pumpkinspice thing? Word on the street is that Starbucks has released their Pumpkinspice creations earlier than usual this year. And I am here to continue to ridicule it while also enjoying the trendy flavor of the season.

What are your thoughts? Are you a fan of the spice?

In the years since, I’ve revived Pumpkinspice from time to time, most recently in this Batboy comic from last Fall.

batboy and merle love the smell of pumpkin spice in the fall
Pumpkinspice bringin’ back those spicy pants!

You’ll find this and many other hilarious comics in my latest Batboy Collection, Shvitzin’ to the Small Stuff which is available on Amazon.

Thumbnail of Book cover with Batboy dressed in 1980s gym shorts, leg warmers and headband doing aerobic exercise and sweating puddles. Title of the book is "Shvitzin' to the Small Stuff: Yet another Batboy Comic Collection by M. R. Kessell

Additionally, I have one signed and numbered, limited edition “Return of Pumpkinspice” 11×14 Print available in my Etsy Shop. Grab it now before it’s gone FOREVER!

a pumpkin headed demon sprinkles pumpkin spice on an assortment of coffee and food products
The last 11X14 Print available on Etsy

You can also grab Pumpkinspice as a T-shirt in my Amazon shop, or as a mug or a print here in my Redbubble Shop.

So will we see yet another incarnation of that evil Spice Demon in years to come? Probably, maybe, most definitely, yes!

Until next time, my friends, MAY THE SPICE BE WITH YOU!

M. R. Kessell is a dark artist and a writer/illustrator of silly comics. Check out his portfolio here. You can follow him on Instagram. Stop by and say HEY!

About A Thurl (Ravenscroft, that is)

| Mister Kessell

Continuing in my efforts to be less Grinchy and more Holly Jolly this month, I wanted to talk to you briefly about Thurl Ravenscroft.

“What or who is Thurl Ravenscroft?” I can hear you saying, “He’s from Lord of the Rings, right? No wait, Game of Thrones! Is it Game of Thrones?”

Nope!

“Is it some sort of Nordic death metal band?”

Negative. Although…

The name "Thurl Ravenscroft" designed like a heavy metal band logo. White text on a black background, very sketchy and rough, with the V forming the bottom point of a pentagram.
You might be on to something there.



The Thurl Ravenscroft I’m referring to was a singer and a voice actor who might best be known(or maybe not) for singing the classic “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This song really hit me, because I too have garlic in my soul. I should probably have that checked out.

After a recent viewing, I was shocked to learn that Thurl wasn’t credited in the animated special.

Did they expect us to believe that the narrator, Boris Karloff, provided the vocals?

Dr. Seuss himself felt terrible about the situation and later tried to remedy it with a letter-writing campaign to various influencers of the day, giving credit to Thurl.

I imagine it went something like this:

Black text in a Dr. Seuss Font over yellow background: It was Thurl who sang the Grinch. Sing, Sang, Sung it quite sweetly. To think Karloff pulled it off, you'd be flumdoozled completely."

While doing my brief bit of research I’ve found that people have been asking Google this question: “Did James Earl Jones sing the Grinch?”

That’s a pretty good guess. But no, James Earl Jones did not sing the Grinch, it was Thurl Ravenscroft.

If only there was some way this confusion could have been avoided from the start.

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M. R. Kessell is a dark artist and a writer and illustrator of Batboy comics.

Batboy wearing a dino floaty at the beach

One last thing before I set off on the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops...

In the spirit of the season, I want to share with you a special little animated gif that I created.

Please feel free to share!

Especially if you have ever been wrongly labeled a Grinch.

Animated gif of a caricature mashup of Richard Nixon and the Grinch who stole Christmas. Waving double peace signs with his hands and text that reads: I AM NOT A GRINCH.

CLICK HERE FOR A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES OF HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!

Click here for more about Thurl.

CHECK OUT MY HOLIDAY MONSTER GIF COLLECTION HERE!

While you’re still here, let’s take a quick look at the lyrics to “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”

Verse 1

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel

You’re as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

Verse 2

You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch, your heart’s an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders, you’ve got garlic in your soul
Mr. Grinch.

I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole

Verse 3

You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile,
Mr. Grinch!
Given a choice between the two of you…
I’d take the seasick crocodile!

Verse 4

You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch, you’re a nasty wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Grinch!
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote:

“Stink, stank, stunk!”

Verse 5

You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch, you’re the king of sinful sots
Your heart’s a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable…
Mangled up in tangled up knots!

Verse 6

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch, with a nauseous super “naus”!
You’re a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich…
With arsenic sauce!

I love that line about the “three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce”

James Earl Jones grinch. James Earl Jones Mr Grinch. Chuck Jones the Grinch. Doctor Seuss Art. Dr Seuss Artwork. You re a mean one mr grinch lyrics thurl ravenscroft.

trenton punk rock flea market

| Mister Kessell

It’s happening in two days!

Come join me at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market on Saturday, May 21st!

I will have a table indoors. Just look for the giant Pumpkinspice!

In addition to the stuff pictured above, I will have a handful of new items, such as: Enamel pins, Holographic Stickers, some large Art Prints and a few copies of Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage.

You should come by, we can discuss books, music, our favorite episodes of the Simpsons, quote Kids in the Hall, talk about the best worst movies that we’ve ever seen (like Miami Connection or Samurai Cop) and maybe grab a pork roll sandwich.

I’ll see you guys in Jersey!

TRENTON PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET

| Mister Kessell

Hey there to all my New Jersey and Philly friends!

I will be vending indoors at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market on Saturday May 21st!

Come down and say, “Oh hi, Mike.”

Tommy Wiseau in The Room saying, "Oh hi, Mike"

In addition to my usual selection of books, prints, and paintings I will have some new prints, stickers and pins which I will be sharing soon. Batboy may also be making an appearance!

Batboy mural Bushwick Brooklyn 2022
What doesn’t make you uncomfortable, Batboy?

Okay, so here’s a super secret reveal, just between you and me (cause nobody reads this blog!) I will have a limited number of these incredible iridescent holographic Batboy stickers! The reason they’ll be limited is that I have already given away fifty that will be included in the free swag bags for the first 100 people in line!

A iridescent, holographic sticker, with Batboy drinking coffee and the text "It's tough being a nocturnal creature with a day job."
It’s tough being a nocturnal creature with a day job.

I will also have copies of Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage for your perusal! I am willing to sign the books for you, although that might decrease the book’s value, it’s up to you!

“Such an amazing product with so many uses around the house!”

Okay, I hope to see you guys in New Jersey!

Let’s get weird!

BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

| Mister Kessell

It’s official: I’ve run out of ideas!

That’s why I’m happy to announce the first ever (and possibly last) BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

TO ENTER: Come up with an amazing caption and/or some hilarious dialogue for Batboy or his squirrel-friend Merle, POST IT AS A COMMENT and then TAG A FRIEND who you think might appreciate your bizarre sense of humor.

The winner and their friend will each receive a signed copy of my latest book: BATBOY AND THE ART OF SELF-SABOTAGE

The contest will run for one week (starting…now) on Instagram, Twitter and this blog, after which a panel of funny judges will decide which is the most side-splitting, knee-slappingest entry of them all.

By entering the contest, you agree to have your winning caption published on social media and in a future printed Batboy collection (with credit given to you, of course, as the wittiest wordsmith in all the land.)

Good luck. Now get to writing!

Batboy Gets Real

| Mister Kessell

Experimenting with a little mashup of photography and illustration. It’s a fun way to get out of my cozy little rut. Now I need to keep my eyes peeled for more photo ops!

Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage (A Book)

| Mister Kessell

I’m excited to announce that I’ve published my second book!

Cover artwork for Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage
Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage

Available now on Amazon! Click Here!

This is a collection of the first fifty installments of the Batboy comic, which were originally published on social media from February to December 2021. You can see a previous post about Batboy here.

Batboy is my anxious alter ego and a vehicle for some of my random ridiculous thoughts.

I’m super excited to see Batboy in print, the full-color illustrations boldly leap off the page, even though Batboy himself is far from bold. You can see a small selection of Batboy for free on Instagram and Twitter. But if you want to make Batboy your own, please check him out on Amazon.